Abstract
Separation anxiety symptoms are very common in children. The present study aims to examine the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the Portuguese version of the Separation Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC). The participants included 874 children, 52% male, aged between 8 and 11 years (M = 9.50; SD = 1.15). Factor analysis supported the three‐factor model found in the original scale. The instrument demonstrated to have good reliability for the total score (α = .81) and for its three factors (Discomfort from separation, α = .80; Worry about separation, α = .72; Calm at separation, α = .59). The validity, examined via the correlation of the SASC with the separation anxiety subscale of the SCARED, was satisfactory (r = .49); the test–retest reliability for the total scale was good (r = .81). The SASC was shown to have good psychometric properties for its use with Portuguese children for clinical and research purposes.